Boston Marathon Course Record Set by Repeat Champion From Kenya

People gather at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 18.Photographer: Sophie Park/Bloomberg

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By Greg Ryan and Katherine Doherty

April 20, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC

Updated on

April 20, 2026 at 4:32 PM UTC

The Boston Marathon on Monday marks the starting gun for a pivotal tourism season in a city grappling with slowdowns in key business sectors and international travelers’ diminished appetite for visiting the US.

The 26.2-mile (42-kilometer) contest, stretching from Hopkinton to the heart of the city at Copley Square, is one of the world’s oldest and most famous annual marathons. John Korir of Kenya repeated as men’s champion, breaking a course record with a time of 02:01:52. In the women’s division, Sharon Lokedi of Kenya similarly won her second consecutive Boston Marathon, coming in at 02:18:51.